Poland’s government will now handle a bill on personal assistance for people with disabilities, allowing them to choose their assistants.
Bill advances to government review
The Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers approved the draft law on personal assistance for people with disabilities on Thursday, September 25. The government will now take over the project. “The key provision in the draft law is the ability for people with disabilities to independently choose the entity providing the assistance service, as well as the freedom to select the assistant themselves,” the Prime Minister’s Chancellery stated on X.
Key details of the assistance law
The project approved by the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers stipulates that if a person with disabilities decides to use an assistant indicated by a non-governmental organization or county, they will be able to choose from at least two candidates provided by these entities. If the law comes into force, applications for assistance will be accepted starting January 1, 2027.
Minister praises progress
Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk thanked members of the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers for their substantive discussion during the meeting. “This is not the end of the road to independence for people with disabilities, but a big and important step forward on this path. We are moving forward!” she wrote on X.
Government divisions persist
Łukasz Krasoń, deputy minister of family, labor, and social policy, and the government’s plenipotentiary for people with disabilities, told Polish Radio that the government will discuss the personal assistance law at the beginning of October. He noted that there are still disagreements among government members on the issue. Krasoń informed that the Ministry of Finance does not agree with some of the proposed solutions.
